


Caught In The Flames

by Rosewind_Fiction



Series: Caught in the Flames Anthology [1]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Altissia to endgame, Angst, But no spoilers yet, Episode Ignis Spoilers, Except Everyone Lives, F/M, Friends to Lovers, I accidentally wrote a novel, I should not be allowed to hurt him, Ignis Scientia is Not Blind, Lots of Hurt and comfort, More tags to be added, Mutually oblivious, Not Verse 2, Slow Burn, There is a lot of OCs I'm sorry, This became more Ignis centric than I intended, but he's fine I swear, mostly canon-compliant
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-28
Updated: 2020-05-29
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:27:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 17,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24431347
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rosewind_Fiction/pseuds/Rosewind_Fiction
Summary: It was during Leviathan's Trial that everything began to go downhill. At first, it was just another battle. Then it was total chaos. Omens were never really her thing, but she should've known that their luck had run out, and the war was truly upon them. Then, perhaps, things would be different.She knew that Ignis was stubborn. She knew that he was equally selfless. She knew that he would protect Noctis at any cost.But in the end, the price was not his to pay.
Relationships: Ignis Scientia/OC
Series: Caught in the Flames Anthology [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2009071
Comments: 2
Kudos: 6





	1. Altissia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything goes horribly wrong.

The city was in ruins. Even pristine, it had been a confusing maze of bridges and waterways, and getting around had been tricky. Silene had no clue how anyone could tell one location from another when everything looked essentially the same, and half of the travel had required taking a gondola. It had been rather irritating and inconvenient. Now, however, it was a hundred times worse; Leviathan had refused to accept the Oracle's covenant without a fight, and her rage had almost decimated everything. Titan had fought the sea goddess by the altar, which attributed to a large portion of the damage, enveloping the center of the city in a hurricane. The Hydrean seemed to be gone now, no longer visible above the ruined rooftops. But the Archean was still there, amidst the Empire's dropships that were split between assaulting the Astral and invading what was left of the city. Thus, it was now even harder to determine where anything was, especially with some of the more obvious passages walled off by rubble. Safely traversing anywhere was nearly impossible at this point.

Worst of all, Ignis was gone.

She had been sent with the others to evacuate the city prior to the summoning, on orders from the First Secretary. It had taken far longer than any of them would've liked, but they had managed somehow. As soon as the task was finished, they raced back towards the altar to reunite with Noctis, only to be separated from Ignis when an Imperial ship slammed into the middle of the bridge where they stood. Gladio had dragged her and Prompto back in time, but when the dust settled Ignis was nowhere to be found, the bridge cut clean in half and nothing but rubble below. They'd feared the worst, thinking he might've been buried and possibly killed, until finally his voice came through on the comms.

_"Prompto!"_

"Iggy!" Prompto sounded as overjoyed to hear his voice as they all looked. "I thought you were a goner."

_"It'll take more than a little seawater,"_ he replied. _"I'm more worried about Noct. I'll find a way to the altar, but I need you to keep the enemy distracted."_

Gladio had glanced towards her then, and she'd nodded, silently telling him that it was alright. She was still worried, but Ignis was the strategist, so it was best to let him take charge. With her approval, Gladio turned his attention back to Ignis.

"You got it."

After that point, Ignis had barely spoken to them aside from a brief check from Prompto and Gladio that he was still alive, leaving them to handle the invasion on their own. They'd managed quite well, for a time, until an explosion from one of the Imperial mechs had sent her crashing down to the lower levels of the city, cutting her off from the others. Grunting, she pushed herself up, rising to her feet and looking up at where she'd fallen from. The railing had crumbled in the explosion, raining debris down on the path where she stood. She couldn't see any viable path back up aside from climbing, and that seemed to be a bust given how quickly more and more of the city was being reduced to rubble with each passing minute, the ledge included. Too risky. 

There was a crackling over the comms as she scanned for other potential ways to climb up, and from the snippets she could hear, it seemed as if Ignis was still fighting his way to Noctis. She resolved to catch up with him instead, as it would likely be the easier route to take after he'd already cut a path through the city.

"Boys, I can't get to you from down here. I'll catch up to Ignis and give him some backup. Hope you can manage without me." She told them, turning to take off down the stone path. She had to get moving quickly, before something crashed down onto her and left her trapped or worse.

_"We'll be fine."_ Gladio's voice came back amidst the sounds of combat. _"Just go, and don't worry about us."_

"Right. Stay safe, you two."

More silence after that. She wondered if Ignis had heard, but he probably would've told her that he didn't need the help, so she assumed he hadn't. That was probably for the best, as she wasn't going to listen to him anyway; she had no other options at this point, what with the rapidly dwindling paths that were still somewhat traversable. Seeking him out seemed to be the only choice she had.

The route to the altar proved to be tricky. She encountered numerous dead ends, far too many soldiers and monsters to cut through than she'd liked, and even an entirely flooded pathway that had forced her to take a rather long detour. Ignis must've passed through some of the areas she came across, given how empty they were, but she couldn't follow the exact path he had; some portions had been damaged or even completely destroyed sometime during or after he might have been there, and it would simply take too long to follow him along the same path even if it wasn't. While it meant less fighting, Ignis still had quite the headstart with how much time she'd already wasted just getting this far.

She had just finished taking down a pair of coeurls along her second detour– how did those things get here? There weren't exactly any land paths to the city, or even a zoo that she knew of– when she heard his comms again.

_"Have you located the Ring yet, Commander? And what of Lunafreya?"_

That wasn't Ignis.

She halted in an alley to listen to the conversation, pressing her back to a wall that seemed stable enough in case any danger passed by. That voice was familiar, she noted, touching the transceiver in her ear to hear better, though she couldn't quite pinpoint why.

_"Both, High Commander, but our forces are unable to extract either at present. We've no way of approaching the altar so long as the Archean stands in our way."_

Ah. So it was Ravus, then. And that arrogant general that Ignis had knocked out at Fort Vaullerey– Caligo, she thought his name was. She recognized _his_ voice easily, given how pompous he managed to sound even when he _wasn't_ acting all high and mighty. Ignis wasn't speaking, but they weren't directing any of their conversation towards him, so she assumed he was watching them from out of sight. She dreaded to think of the other reasons why he might be silent, but doubted she would be hearing this if any of those possibilities were true.

_"Even the gods are on his side."_ She heard Ravus sigh, a sound that she could only interpret as exasperation. _"Neither the King nor the Oracle will escape with their lives if the fighting continues. Order a full retreat. I'm going in alone."_

Oh good. He has sense.

_"But sir–"_

And he doesn't.

_"I assume you are already familiar with how I got this arm?"_ Ravus cut him off quickly, sounding quite annoyed. Silene suspected that was the typical response to dealing with this man, and not just the eldest Fleuret's generally irritable demeanor. 

_"Yes, sir,"_ came the meek response. She was rather glad to hear him put in his place for once. Especially by Ravus, of all people, despite their conflicting goals. It gave her a small sense of satisfaction.

_"Then you must also know the Ring is worthless without one who can wield it."_

That appeared to be the end of the conversation. Ravus' order of retreat would make moving through the city much easier, and allow everyone else to turn their attention towards the altar instead of being held up in combat. That meant a higher chance someone would get to Noctis, or at least run into Ignis somewhere in the maze of streets if they happened to find a quicker route than her own. _At least something good has come from this mess_ , she thought, leaving her hiding place to continue on. Only the monsters and the stragglers to worry about now, though the retreat would take a bit of time to go into effect. She'd stick to the stealth route for now, even if it _was_ costing her precious time to track down Ignis and make sure he was alright.

The light was fading. It would be dark soon, and she would be hopelessly lost with such low visibility. She had to be quick, or she'd likely find herself stuck until someone managed to reach her.

Thankfully, it didn't take her long to spot the altar from a damaged walkway. Finding a way across to it was a problem, however. It appeared as though any path there may have been was destroyed in the chaos, and the stones around her were already beginning to crumble into the water, so staying to search for some sort of bridge wasn't an option. That meant there was no way to reach it from here, and she'd have to go further. More trekking through a ruined city that was already growing more and more confusing to navigate. She sighed and continued on for what felt like an eternity, until she found her path; a hill of rubble linked the street she stood on just close enough to the stone walkway for her to jump down. Not something that looked particularly stable, and she was wary of it crumbling and dropping her into the rough and icy water, but it would have to do. She carefully made her way to the edge, thankfully managing to descend safely, and looked around the area. It seemed empty; she couldn't even spot Noctis yet from where she'd landed. Was she the first one here?

Evidently not. She became aware of the sounds of fighting over the downpour that had begun, and she rushed towards it, wiping the rain out of her eyes when it began to blur her vision. She was able to hear voices amid the sound of steel and electricity as she drew closer.

_"Stand in my way and you too shall meet the same fate: death!"_

_"Come to your senses, man!"_

Ravus and Ignis, seemingly fighting over the fates of Noctis and Lunafreya. _Oh no._ This was not good, she needed to be there _now_. Calling her weapons from the Armiger with a blue flash, she rushed past a crumbled arch and nearly slipped on the wet stone as she rounded a corner–

Right in time to watch Ravus put his rapier through Ignis' stomach.

No one moved for a moment. Then she watched Ignis shakily raise his hands to the wound, as if trying to pull the blade out. She knew it was purely instinctual, and she could see the blood on his hands as the blade cut into his flesh, but it probably didn't register over the shock of what had just happened. He stared at Ravus, looking pale and horrified, and she saw him reach out to grip the taller man's arm and attempt to say something. She couldn't make it out over the rain and the way her heart was pounding, but she assumed it was a plea to let Noctis live. Ravus tilted his head a fraction, then yanked his weapon back– she heard a sharp, pained gasp when he did so– and caught Ignis by the collar of his coeurl print shirt before he hit the ground, gently easing him down. He stayed knelt beside him for a moment, as if he was speaking to him, but then he rose and strode towards Noctis and his sister.

Rage and worry hit her at the same time. Rage at Ravus for hurting Ignis when all he'd done was try to help, and worry because the man she cared for more than anything was bleeding out on the cold stone. Ravus deserved nothing more than a spear through the heart for this, even if his actions _were_ out of grief– from how pale and still Lunafreya was, Silene had no doubts that she had passed– but Ignis wouldn't make it through this if she wasted time trying to hurt him.

Worry won out. Murder could wait.

Her blades dissolved as her muscles finally followed her commands to move, and she skidded to a halt by Ignis' side, dropping to her knees. She could hear his pained cries between short gasps for air, and saw how he had a hand– gloveless, she noted– pressed tightly against the wound, though it was doing little to stop the bleeding. She put her hand over his to add to the pressure, hoping it would buy her time to figure out what to do; she had never dealt with an injury like this before, and it made her incredibly nervous, fearing she might do more harm than good. Using her free arm, she shifted him so he could see her, careful not to make the injury worse.

"Ignis!" She called, drawing his attention. He blinked a few times as he shifted his gaze from the sky and managed to focus on her. _Gods_ , it hurt to see the pain and fear in his beautiful eyes, and to hear how he was struggling to breathe. She had to do something, and quickly. She couldn't let him die here.

She _wouldn't_ let him die here.

"Silene?" Ignis wheezed, confused by her presence. She couldn't tell if that was because he hadn't seen her, or due to the fact that it seemed difficult for him to properly process what was going on– likely a little of both. He flinched a little at the added pressure to the wound, and she heard a soft whimper. It was so uncharacteristic of him to be this afraid and confused. The Ignis she knew so well was calm and strong, always knowing what to do even when everything was going horribly wrong. This Ignis was _terrified_ , realizing with what little he could grasp of the situation that he was hurt and probably dying, and she wasn't entirely sure what to do without him guiding her.

She noticed he was beginning to fall unconscious, and tried to keep him from passing out. "Ignis. _Hey!_ " She gave him a light shake when he didn't immediately react to her voice. He winced at the movement, though it jostled him awake, and he opened his eyes again, green meeting hazel. "Stay with me. You'll be alright. Just don't move, and _don't close your eyes."_

That was one thing she remembered from his lessons in first aid. If he passed out now, she might not be able to wake him up. She didn't really know how much help he could give her in this state– probably none, he didn't seem like he was aware enough to think properly, let alone tell her what to do– but she needed him conscious. He couldn't die. And if he did, then Ravus would soon follow. She'd make sure of that, last of the Oracle's line or not.

She could see Ignis struggling to keep his gaze on her. It flickered unsteadily as he tried to force himself to remain awake while she ran through all the possible ways she could think of to help him. She knew she couldn't keep her hand on the wound forever; it was barely helping in the first place, and he was rapidly losing blood, growing paler by the minute as he wheezed softly. There had to be something better she could do, but she wasn't sure what, and she looked around frantically for something that might work. It was a shame that he seemed to have lost his jacket along with his gloves somewhere in the chaos. She knew he would probably have a fit after the fact, but it would've helped to staunch the bleeding, at least a little. Her own jacket was too soaked by the rain to do much good.

"Silene," Ignis spoke between gasps, his voice hoarse and sounding _desperate_ , which startled her because it barely sounded anything like the smooth tones she was used to hearing. "Please...protect Noct. Ravus–" He didn't get to finish the sentence, interrupted by a sudden bout of coughing. He gripped her arm with his free hand in what she assumed was an attempt to keep himself steady, and she glanced towards the altar briefly. Ravus was beside his sister, head bowed as he held her. It almost mirrored the way she was holding Ignis.

"He's focused on Luna right now. Let me focus on you."

He didn't respond, though she knew he must be frantic from the way he was practically clawing at the fabric of her sleeve. Instead, he just clung to her arm and kept glancing towards where Ravus was, though the man was out of his line of sight. Damn him, he was always so worried about Noctis that he couldn't focus on himself, even when he was on the verge of dying. She spotted blood on his lips and felt a flash of panic. Had Ravus struck one of his lungs? That would explain why he seemed unable to breathe. It worried her; the situation was getting worse by the second. She feared that she wouldn't be able to save him, that he might end up choking on his own blood. What was she even supposed to _do_ in a situation like this? All her training seemed to have escaped her.

For a brief moment, she considered an elixir. Then she remembered that she'd used the last of her supply in her mad dash for the altar, after she'd encountered the coeurls earlier. She cursed herself internally for being so careless. All she had was magic now.

Healing spells _really_ weren't her specialty.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before gently moving his hand off of the wound to place both of hers over it, grimacing at how much blood there was. "Ignis. This is going to hurt," she warned. She wasn't sure if he was aware of her words, what with his focus now on Ravus, but it didn't feel right to not let him know what she was about to do. Quickly, she drew up as much magic as she could to try and close the wound, hoping it would be enough. Ignis inhaled sharply and his grip on her arm tightened as he tried to stifle a cry of pain, his breathing quick, shallow, and shaky. The sound came out as a low whine instead of what probably would've been a scream. She felt sorry for him; her healing spells had never been practiced extensively, given the careful watch of curatives on his part. That meant they weren't precise, and that it was not a pleasant experience for anyone who required this kind of treatment from her. Curatives themselves were mildly uncomfortable too, but far from what he was feeling right now. Still, it was certainly better than if she'd cauterized it. That may have been the more effective option, but she feared the possible internal bleeding that would not be fixed if she'd tried.

This method didn't completely stop the bleeding either, unfortunately. Ignis was still in a bad state, and she noticed in dismay that he had passed out from the pain of her attempt to lessen the severity, his hand now fallen from her arm to his side. But she could see the faint rise and fall of his chest, and hear the barely audible wheezing, so she knew he was still alive, at least for now. She looked down at the blood on her hands, then up at the sky where the rain was still pouring heavily, rapidly washing the red off the grey stone with icy drops. _He could freeze in this weather,_ she realized _._ Carefully, she lifted him and pulled him against her chest to offer what little heat she could, anxiously glancing back the way she'd arrived. He already felt cold from the rain and the blood loss, and she noticed he was shivering in her arms.

"Gladio, Prompto...please hurry." She whispered, fighting back tears as she clutched his limp body.

If they didn't get here soon, Ignis might not leave Altissia alive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I got into this game when I found that it was on the Xbox Game Pass, and after about 5 hours of playing I decided I absolutely needed to buy it. My friends and I have since created our own characters and HCs, and this is a product of those many discussions ;)
> 
> Anyway I kept thinking about the QTE fail against Ravus, and how that could play out. Plus blind Iggy makes me sad, and this route gives me a bit more content to write than if I went with Verse 2. So yeah, there's gonna be a lot of canon/semi-canon conversations and events, but I'm intending to give them a little more depth with how the POV character feels about it and what they're thinking. Hopefully that makes things a bit more interesting!
> 
> This is my first time ever writing something bigger than a one-shot without losing interest, and also the first time I have decided to let strangers see my work, lol. Updating may be a little slow, as I am working on other personal projects as well. These early chapters were written some time ago, but I'm hoping to edit and/or finish some of my more recent chapters at a somewhat steady pace.


	2. Guilt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ignis blames himself.

When Ignis came to, he wasn't sure where he was or what had happened. _Odd_ , he thought. It wasn't usually this difficult to remember. Why did everything seem so hazy? He didn't like the lack of clarity, the way his mind felt so sluggish, and he blinked a few times, trying to focus. Gradually, he managed to gain some awareness of his surroundings, and he spent a few minutes processing that information, frowning up at the ceiling. The first thing he noted was that he was on a bed, though thankfully the sheets were soft, and not scratching uncomfortably at his skin. He took a quick glance at the walls– his vision was blurry without his glasses, but the pattern seemed vaguely familiar– and then it clicked; this was the Leville, in Altissia. He didn't bother questioning how it was still standing. He really didn't care, and it was hardly important. The other memories came flooding back quickly following his realization.

Luna. Leviathan. Trial. Altar. Ravus.

_Noct._

He tensed, inhaling sharply. Was Noctis alright? Ravus had tried to kill him after Lady Lunafreya had passed. Ignis certainly understood the man's anger; after all, she was his sister, and she had died trying to fulfill her calling and assist the Chosen King. The pair had briefly worked together to reach them at the altar, but then Ravus flew into a grief fueled rage, and Ignis had to push him away, to battle him in order to keep Noctis safe, and–

_Oh._

Ravus had taken him down quickly, _far_ too quickly. He was knocked off balance after their brief struggle that must've been barely a minute long, unable to hold back the violent assault on account of the wounds he had accumulated during the defense of the city. Steel slipped against steel as he attempted to parry the attack, the blades wet in the downpour that had begun, and he had suddenly found himself with a sword in his stomach. He remembered the shock, the blood, how much everything hurt– _burned_ would be a more accurate description, actually. His muscles had felt like they were on fire, agonizing pain ripping through his body at every small movement, and his blood was hot against the freezing rain and his numb fingers as he cut his palms on the blade embedded within him, hands slipping as he instinctually wrapped them around the sharp edges in a desperate attempt to remove it. He remembered grasping at Ravus' arm for support, smearing white fabric crimson, and trying to pull him closer with rapidly waning strength, his body trembling as he begged him, in one final request, to spare Noctis. He wasn't sure if he had actually said anything. A strangled, pitiful noise might've been all that the taller man heard when his voice faltered and gave out, but he tried to make him understand; if Ravus needed to cut someone down to quell his rage, let it be him and not Noctis. Let Ignis be the sheath so that no one else would feel his wrath. _Forgive me, Noct_ , he remembered thinking as he watched his own blood, his _life_ , dripping to the ground, only to be quickly washed away as if it had never been there. Then he recalled being held upright by his shirt when his knees buckled under his weight after the sword was ripped out of him, the fire in his veins worsening tenfold, soon followed by the feeling of cold stone against his back and the pattering of rain on his face, blurring his vision. He remembered that it was hard to breathe and to focus, how it had felt like someone dropped a weight on him, and that his chest constricting under the pressure and the feeling of _drowning_ – he tasted water and metal, felt it coating his lungs and his hand as he clutched at the wound, trying to stop the blood from gushing out– was the only thing he could think about beyond the pain as his consciousness slowly faded. He remembered...Silene?

She had followed him– he didn't know when, or even _how,_ but she had– and saved him from certain death. He remembered that he had been scared of dying, as any man should be, trying feebly to cling to life and not slip away in such a cold, dark place. But she had been there when he needed someone, _anyone,_ to help, comforting him and staying by his side, her presence offering just a small bit of warmth and shelter in the raging storm around them.

And then it had hurt more, and he blacked out.

He tried to sit up, wanting to find the others, to find _Noct_ , but he stopped halfway through the motion when a sharp pain flared up in his torso, leaving him gasping. A hand touched his shoulder, gently guiding him back down, and he jerked his head up to see who was there, suddenly realizing that he wasn't alone in the room. How had he missed that?

"Your wounds aren't fully healed, Ignis. You need to rest."

Once again laying back on the soft sheets, he turned his head towards the familiar voice and blinked in surprise. Silene was at his side, seated next to the bed– thankfully close enough for him to distinguish her features without too much difficulty– and he saw her gaze sweep over his body briefly. Had she been with him the entire time since he'd passed out? He didn't know, but he was glad to see her.

Although he did feel a bit guilty about being happier to see her than Gladio or Prompto.

"It's good to see you awake." She seemed relieved, and he assumed from her expression that the fight on the altar had been some time ago.

"How long was I unconscious?" He asked, wincing at how hoarse he sounded. Silene tilted her head, turning her gaze towards the ceiling as she mentally counted.

"One week, twelve hours, and about fifteen minutes, give or take." She replied finally, and he frowned. She was counting the minutes? That was a bit odd. "Although for most of that time no one was sure you'd pull through. The doctors stopped the bleeding when we dragged you in here, but you were barely alive. On day three you got a really high fever and they had to check on you constantly, and then about two days ago you were finally stable and recovering. They told us to keep an eye on you just in case, but you've been fine since then." She glanced towards his stomach, and he finally noticed the bandages wrapped around his torso, somewhat visible under his shirt, though it was not the one he remembered wearing during the assault. It had probably been destroyed between the blood and all the tears from having to fight his way through the city, he realized with sadness. He'd really liked that shirt. However, that thought was soon gone as Silene continued. "You know, aside from the fact that you still have a healing hole in your stomach."

It had really been _that_ bad? It was a wonder he had woken up at all, if he had spent five days in a near death state. Ravus had almost killed him.

His mind immediately conjured up the image of himself dying in Silene's arms while she begged him to stay awake, and Noctis raging in grief when he heard the news, broken even further after the loss of his fiancée and then his advisor.

He didn't like that thought, and he quickly pushed it away.

"Is Noct alright?"

"He's fine. Resting, because the Trial took a lot out of him, but otherwise fine. Same goes for the others. You got the worst of it." She gave him a wry smile, and immediately something felt... _wrong._ Silene seemed to be acting out of character, as if she was hiding something from him. She was not the best liar, at least when it came to him, and those were the only times he could ever recall her acting so strangely. It worried him. He needed to know what she wasn't telling him.

"Silene," He said slowly. "What happened?"

She raised a brow at him, brushing off his question with a vague summary of the invasion, although he was certain she knew exactly what he meant. "We got separated, you ran off, Ravus almost killed you, and here we are."

"No," he shook his head, ignoring the rising sense of dread at her insistence that nothing was wrong. "You don't act like this unless you aren't telling me something. _What happened?"_

Silene was silent. Then she sighed, looking down at her hands. He followed her gaze, blinking in confusion at the sight he was met with.

What he could see of her arms looked...well, _weird_. There were some scars he didn't recall seeing before– he wasn't sure how to describe them other than patchy and rough, standing out starkly– and the skin looked pink, as if she'd scrubbed it raw. Her jacket was draped loosely over her shoulders, which was odd because she had only ever worn _his_ in that manner after snatching it, and for once she wasn't wearing the fingerless gloves he'd always seen her with. Her hands looked just as pink as the rest of the exposed skin.

And then he noticed a darker, circular mark around one of the fingers on her left hand, and he inhaled sharply.

_"You didn't."_

She still didn't say anything, and she wouldn't look at him, instead keeping her gaze fixed on the floor. The dread hit even harder, and he felt a mix of fear and horror as his gaze shifted back to the awful state of her arms. He needed an explanation, needed her to tell him that his suspicions were wrong, but the fact that she was refusing to speak told him enough. She _had_ done exactly what he feared.

She had put on the Ring of the Lucii.

_"Silene,"_ His voice was more insistent this time. _"What did you do?"_

She took a deep, shaky breath, then turned her attention towards the window beside her. "You told me to protect Noctis. I did. End of story."

Admittedly, he didn't remember that part. He couldn't really recall a lot of what had happened after she'd arrived. He remembered the early moments following the fight rather vividly, but after a certain point his mind had stopped functioning properly as his body began shutting down, and his memory became spotty– all he could recall clearly was the same three words echoing over and over in his head: _Cold. Pain. Air_ – but it was something he would've done in the belief that he was dying, and he _had_ believed that, so he didn't argue _why_. What she had _done_ , however…

"That did not include using the Ring, Silene," he told her, not quite sure if his tone was annoyance, or concern, or a little of both. "You know what it does as well as I do. It can and _will_ kill anyone not of royal blood." His voice grew softer as he continued, giving her a troubled look because he couldn't help but _worry_. "You can't make a bargain with the old kings so carelessly."

He couldn't believe how _reckless_ she had been. He knew the Glaive that had last worn it had died, knew that Ravus had to wear a prosthetic because it rejected him back when Insomnia fell over two months ago– the man had told him as much during their brief alliance, but he could only _imagine_ how much it must have hurt– and he knew that only the Lucian kings could bear that kind of power for more than mere minutes without being horribly maimed or simply ripped apart from the inside. Silene knew all of this too, and yet she had used it anyway, risking her life for that small, fleeting bit of strength. If she had died, he didn't think he could forgive himself. Not when it was because of him that she was there, and because of his wounds that she'd had to fight alone. 

_It would've been all my fault._

"Those are burns," he observed after a brief silence, looking over the scars once more. Now he understood why they looked patchy.

"Yes."

"From the Ring."

"Yes."

"But surely they didn't let you off that lightly." That wasn't a question. She sighed.

"...No." Her gaze returned to her hands. "Potions healed the worst of it, but...they said they couldn't do anything about the nerve damage. Everything up to my shoulders is numb and will stay that way." She was silent for a few moments, before she continued. "I've lost my magic and I can't access the Armiger anymore."

_"What?"_ He stared at her in shock, and she finally raised her gaze to meet his, her expression blank. She was trying to hide her tumultuous feelings, he knew, but he could see the pain in her eyes when she spoke.

"I asked Prompto and Gladio," her voice was soft, sounding almost _ashamed_. "They can still summon their weapons. I can't."

He blinked, frowning. That couldn't be right. Experimentally, he tried calling his daggers, and they appeared in his hands. He sent them away with a flick of his wrists, then turned his attention back to her. She did the same as him, trying to call forth anything in the arsenal, but nothing happened. Then she did a gesture for her magic. Still nothing.

"The last spell that was actually useful was a healing spell, awful as mine are– _were._ I ran out of curatives, but I managed to heal you enough that you wouldn't bleed out on the altar," she informed him, turning her gaze back to the window again.

Well that explained why he'd passed out, but it wasn't what concerned him right now.

The Armiger shouldn't be blocked for only her. That just made no sense. Magic could be sealed, perhaps, but the Armiger? It was a link directly to Noctis, and he was certainly alive, otherwise none of them would be able to conjure their weapons from thin air. Did he hear about what happened and lock her out? Was he angry with her for what she'd done?

If that was the case, they would be having quite a talk later on, when he could manage to move without hurting too badly.

"Then you can't fight?" He questioned, giving her a worried look, and earning a small shrug in response.

"I have my weapons. Prompto called them out for me, and I've kept them close." She gestured to the bedside table, where a pair of daggers rested. "Problem is, I can't use them too well when I can't feel them. It's pretty hard to keep a steady grip. Plus the doctors told me I have to be careful until this has all fully healed." She held up her hands. "They said the skin could split or bruise pretty quickly if I'm not careful, and that could be a whole problem in itself because I wouldn't necessarily notice with all the dead nerves. So no, for now I can't fight." Placing her hands back in her lap, she added, "Gladio is pissed."

"Given what you've told me, I can't say I'm surprised. I'm not exactly pleased to hear all of this myself." He decided to sit up, regardless of the pain it caused. It was hard to be taken seriously when scolding someone while lying on a bed. Just as hard to shift into a semi comfortable position once he was no longer on his back, but he suppressed any sounds of pain he might've made, and waited until his breathing settled and his chest stopped heaving from the effort of getting that far. He knew he had stitches, the itchiness that he had noticed some time ago told him as much, but thankfully he didn't feel anything tear from the movement, though the bandages may have turned just slightly red in a few spots. A part of him was mildly curious about how bad the wound looked, but he'd have to examine it properly later, when someone came by to check on him. For now, he brushed that thought aside and spoke again. "What you did was reckless, Silene. You could have died. The Ring is not kind to anyone other than royalty."

"I didn't die." She replied, clearly both annoyed and concerned that he was sitting up, but she didn't address it despite looking like she wanted to scold him for his stubbornness. "But _you_ nearly did. _Noctis_ nearly did. Not being able to feel anything in my arms is pretty minor in comparison, Ignis."

He wanted to argue that it wasn't minor at all, that she shouldn't be so calm about it, that it was hardly a fair trade for their lives. But he couldn't. Not because she would stubbornly stand her ground on the matter, but because he couldn't claim his life was less important– especially given how desperately he had fought to keep breathing while the weight on his chest grew heavier with each passing second– than what she had decided to accept. She had chosen to suffer so that he could live.

_I should've been the one to make that sacrifice._

She didn't know how much it hurt to know that she had allowed herself to be injured in exchange for him leaving Altissia in one piece. She didn't know how much it hurt to know that this was _his fault_ because he hadn't been strong enough to fend off Ravus and protect Noctis himself. But mostly, she didn't know how much it hurt to see her so solemn. She had always been cheerful despite her rough personality, smiling and joking around, and he wished he could see her like she had been before all of this began. This just felt _wrong_.

He had no clue what the Ring would've done to him if he had been the one to wear it on the altar instead– irreparably wound him like it had done to her and Ravus? Kill him like the Glaive who had managed to wield it?– but he knew that she wouldn't have suffered if he had been stronger, if he had been able to fight beside her in whatever final battle he had missed.

No. He _did_ know what the Ring would've done to him. Pryna's vision flashed in his mind again. He had seen all of them, older and saddened. And he had seen himself, scarred and blinded, a very obvious burn around his left eye that wouldn't open, and the other a stone grey.

The Ring had burned everyone who wasn't of royal blood. It would've burned him too. Silene was lucky she didn't suffer the same wounds that he would have. That would be so much worse.

He pulled her close, into a hug. The motion pulled on his stitches a bit, and it was an uncomfortable sensation, but he didn't care because at least he could still _feel_ his pain. She couldn't, not anymore. _Nerve damage_. That meant the burns had been horrible, and he could only imagine how awful it must've looked in the beginning. But she had endured it all to watch over him while he healed, and he felt guilty because he had caused her pain.

Her hands settled lightly on his back, and he almost wanted to cry because it was just an automatic response, and nothing more than that because she couldn't even feel the fabric they rested against. _It hurt._ Not as much as if she had been blinded like he could've been, but it hurt nonetheless. She opted to rest her head against his chest– he knew by now that she liked hearing his heartbeat as a reassurance that he was there and _alive–_ and he gently rubbed her back in a comforting gesture. Admittedly, he wasn't really sure if it was meant to comfort her, or himself. Burying his face in her dark hair, he spoke softly.

"You need to tell me everything that happened, Silene."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ignis almost dies, and he immediately goes into parental mode anyway. I love how precious he is.


	3. Her Sacrifice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Ignis wounded, Silene is forced to make a choice.

Silene didn't know how long she sat there in the rain, cradling Ignis to her chest and praying to the gods that someone would arrive to help. His hair was plastered to his face by the rain at this point, and she wanted to cry at how fragile he looked in this state. She had already done all she could for him, but it wasn't enough to be certain that he'd live. His heart was racing under her hand where it rested on his chest, though the pulse was weak– she'd had to press her fingers to his neck several times already to be sure it was still beating– and she knew that he was fading. He still felt cold, but he had stopped shivering against her, and that made her more panicked because she knew she needed to get him dry and warm somehow, or hypothermia might claim him before the blood loss did. Awkwardly, without shifting him too much, she tried to rub his arms and chest in an attempt to keep him from freezing. His slow, shallow breaths were soft against her neck where his head rested, the only fleeting bit of warmth in his body, and she didn't know how much longer he'd keep breathing if he didn't get proper help, and soon. 

_Please, Ignis, stay with me,_ she begged silently, resting her cheek against his. She could feel him through the Armiger, his usual fire now dwindled to a small, flickering candle. _Someone will come, and they'll take care of you. Just hold on a little longer._

"Silene!"

She raised her head with a soft gasp, clutching Ignis' heavy, limp frame a bit tighter as a voice cut through the sound of the rain. She knew that voice.

_Gladio_.

He appeared around the remains of a crumbled arch, the same one she'd passed earlier, and rushed over to the altar, slowing to a stop once he reached her. 

"Gladio! You're alive!" She could hear the immense relief in her own voice. "Ignis is– he's hurt. We need to..." She started, only to trail off as her gaze flicked briefly over his shoulder. She expected to see a familiar glimpse of yellow too, but there was nothing. A sudden wave of dread washed over her at that realization, and she stared for a moment in the hopes that the gunslinger was just a little ways behind, then turned to look at the Shield.

_"Where's Prompto?"_

Gladiolus didn't answer, staring past her at where Noctis lay, and where Ravus was still grieving for his lost sister. She watched him tilt his head, then smirk, and she knew he wasn't focused on the prince.

"Well, well. What have we here?" He questioned ominously as he slowly walked past her, summoning his weapon. She wanted to reach out and grab his clothes to stop him, but she was afraid of dropping Ignis and harming him worse; she was already fearful that he wouldn't survive, and further injury would almost certainly seal his fate, especially considering she was holding him this way to try and keep the blood out of his lungs. He had coughed some up earlier, prior to falling unconscious, and she didn't want him to choke and suffocate. His breathing was already so weak and raspy. _No, Gladio, you can't do this_ now _._

He did. She watched in horror as he swung his greatsword at Ravus, intending to cleave the man in half, only to have it parried away in less than a second after it came down. The High Commander turned towards Gladiolus, unabated fury in his mismatched eyes.

_"You."_ Ravus growled, looking ready to lunge at him. _"Ardyn."_

Silene was, admittedly, quite lost as to what was going on. What exactly was he talking about? The Chancellor wasn't anywhere in sight, and a quick glance at their surroundings confirmed it. And more importantly, what had put them at odds with each other in such a way that would have him reacting like this? Weren't they supposedly working together? Ravus _was_ aligned with Niflheim now. Ardyn looked absolutely nothing like the bare chested, tattooed man in front of them anyway, so she supposed that perhaps he had gone delusional in his grief. Not an unreasonable explanation, given what had happened not too long prior.

But then Gladio spoke again, broadsword vanishing in a blue flicker, and she felt her blood freeze at the sinister tone.

"Oh dear. Was I that transparent?"

He stepped backwards, slowly bringing a hand up to his face. She barely had time to blink, and suddenly Ardyn was where Gladiolus had been a moment ago, bowing dramatically with his hat in hand as Imperial soldiers joined him. A pair of them yanked her roughly away from Ignis– he was silent and unmoving as he was ripped from her arms and dropped to the ground– and she struggled until they pinned her against the stone, immobilizing her. There was a knee against her back, and one of her arms had been twisted painfully behind her. Another hand pressed her face into the ground, making it difficult to see, though she quickly recognized movement towards her. The Chancellor came into focus, as best as she could view him, and stopped a few inches away. He looked down at her for a moment, then smiled wickedly.

"The game's up, my dear."

Then his boot hit her face, and she blacked out.

Gradually, the darkness that had taken over her vision started fading, instead growing lighter, and she slowly opened her eyes. Sunlight was what woke her, the very beginnings of dawn creeping through to chase the night away. She blinked a few times to brush the grogginess away, finding herself in a familiar tent. Frowning, she looked around and spotted the boys all practically in a heap, as usual; Noctis and Prompto were more or less using Gladiolus as a bed, haphazardly draped across him and nearly tangled together in a mess of limbs. Octavia had joined the pile as well, messy black hair practically covering her face entirely, though Viviana was closer to the edge of the tent, where none of them would manage to fall on her. Why the Shield put up with being crushed like that, by _three people_ no less, she'd never know. It hardly looked comfortable.

Ignis was notably absent. He had been next to her when they'd all gone to sleep, hadn't he?

She somehow managed to escape her sleeping bag without waking the others, and quietly slipped out of the tent. The familiar soft blue of the haven runes mixed with the early morning light, giving the ground a gentle glow. She admired it for a brief moment, then turned to look around the camp, and soon spotted Ignis. The advisor was leaning against the stove they had set up, a mug in his hand, and somehow managing to look as formal as usual– minus the jacket, it was placed on a nearby camping chair– even at such an early hour. He seemed to be watching the sunrise, though his gaze flicked to her as she approached.

"You're up early," he noted, raising his mug to take a sip of his coffee. Typical Ignis. Silene was honestly convinced the man lived off of caffeine, considering how often she saw him with a can of Ebony or a mug of the stuff. She suspected his blood was just coffee at this point. It was a wonder he ever slept.

"The light woke me up," she explained with a half shrug as she joined him. "I don't think I'll be sleeping again until tonight." Turning her attention to the horizon, she asked, "So, do you always get up this soon? It's barely light out."

"The world at dawn is full of wonders," he replied, following her gaze. "I rather enjoy the sunrise."

"Well, I see why. It's kinda pretty."

"Indeed."

"Maybe you need to start waking me up this early. I can marvel at this more often," she suggested, and she caught a hint of a smile on his face.

"Perhaps I will. Dawn tomorrow, then?"

"Sure, why not?"

They lapsed into silence for a bit, observing the sky as the colors mixed and shifted in the light. Eventually, however, she felt Ignis' gaze on her, and she turned to look at him. His head was tilted slightly as he observed her intently behind his glasses, and she felt a little uncomfortable under the scrutiny.

"...Is something wrong?"

"I was about to ask you the same," he answered. "You appear to have hardly gained any rest, though you were sleeping quite soundly when I awoke." She blinked, then rubbed her neck awkwardly.

"Yeah, I, uh...I think I had a weird dream or something." Ignis raised a brow at her reply.

"You 'think'?" He questioned, and she swore his sharp gaze grew more intense. "And what precisely was this dream of yours?" She frowned a little, trying to recall the details more clearly.

"There was this huge battle. It was complete chaos, and I found you and Noctis. You were both hurt, and...I thought you were dying. And then Gladio showed up, but it wasn't actually Gladio, it was– I don't know." Sighing in frustration, she put a hand to her forehead. "It's...it's difficult to explain, Ignis, but I was worried about you."

He was silent for a moment, and she was worried he thought she was crazy or something. Then he shifted, placing his mug down on the stove, and she felt his hand on her shoulder.

"Silene," Ignis started, his voice gentle, and she looked up at him. "I assure you that I am perfectly fine. But if anything were to happen, I am quite confident that you would be quick to help. You needn't worry about me." She smiled a little at him, soothed somewhat by his assurance.

"Yeah, you're right, I'm stressing too much. Don't mind me." Ignis patted her shoulder in response and turned back to the stove.

"Perhaps helping me with breakfast will ease your mind."

"Sure, just tell me what to do. I promise not to upstage your cooking." She joked lightly, moving to snatch his jacket off the chair as she grabbed the cooler they kept the ingredients in, and she saw him roll his eyes in amusement. Whether it was at her comment, stealing his coat, or both, she wasn't entirely certain.

"Unlikely."

They didn't talk much while cooking beyond Ignis instructing her what to do, and she let her mind focus on her task and the weight of the jacket over her shoulders– Ignis had resigned himself to this habit by now and didn't bother taking it back– instead of the odd dream. After some time he touched her shoulder.

"I'm going to wake the others. Do you mind finishing up?"

"Not at all. Good luck with Noctis, though. Seems a bit early for him still." She replied, and she heard a low chuckle from him.

"It would take the power of the gods and then some to wake him before lunch, but perhaps today will be the day. I'll be back shortly." He ducked into the tent and she turned back to the meal, though soon an odd smell caught her attention. Frowning, she glanced around, trying to determine where it was coming from. It seemed to be close to her. _Around_ her, even. Slowly, she raised the jacket to her face, and cringed at the metallic scent covering Ignis' usual, pleasant smell. Blood?

_Oh._

A wave of dread hit her. That hadn't been a dream, had it? Ignis really _was_ dying. Gladio really _hadn't_ been Gladio. No, no, _no._ This couldn't be happening. _Six,_ she didn't want it to be true. She didn't want this to be fake, and that nightmare to be real.

She was pretty sure she screamed when the darkness returned.

When she regained consciousness, _proper_ consciousness, Ardyn was knelt in front of her with a knife. Her vision was blurry at first, but it came into focus after she blinked several times. The Chancellor waited until she seemed to be fully aware, then tilted his head.

"Come now," he started, beginning to tap the flat side of the blade against his hand rhythmically. "Why not follow your liege's lead and stop resisting?"

"Fuck off," she hissed in reply, and he paused for a moment, as if surprised by her language, before continuing with his monologue.

"You risked life and limb to safeguard the 'King of Kings,' only to witness him fail so spectacularly." At that point, he rose to his feet, moving over to Noctis with slow, deliberate steps, and keeping the dagger in her range of view the whole time. He dropped to one knee beside him before continuing. "You must be _so_ disappointed."

"Don't you dare touch him!" She snapped, but Ardyn continued this time, as if she hadn't spoken at all.

"I know I am." Another pause, and he looked past her, smiling ominously. His next statement made her freeze in place. "And it looks like his dear advisor has perished due to his failure."

_What?_

No. Surely he was lying. Ignis couldn't be dead. She had been dreaming– or maybe hallucinating– after Ardyn knocked her out, and dreams happened faster than the time they seemed to last. She remembered hearing that somewhere before. So she couldn't have been unconscious _that_ long...could she?

Oh gods, if only she'd been here sooner to protect him.

Ardyn seemed amused by her look of horror, and he continued mockingly. "Oh, what good is a world that only ever lets you down? Why not end it all right here?" He lifted Noctis by the collar of his shirt, reversing his grip on the dagger and raising it, and she gasped. Ignis had begged her to protect him. If he really _had_ died, then she needed to honor his wishes and fight tooth and nail to keep Noctis alive.

But she couldn't get free no matter how hard she struggled, and all she could do was scream.

_"No!"_

Thankfully, the dagger never came down. Ardyn's hat was knocked off his head by a knife, hitting the stone between them. _One of Ignis'?_ The Chancellor stared at it for a moment, then slowly turned to look at Ravus. The High Commander was glaring at him, breathing heavily as the soldiers aimed their guns. She felt a flash of relief at the fact that he had managed to escape the grip of the soldiers that had seized him, his rage at Ardyn thankfully preventing Noctis' death.

" _My,_ you two certainly have become fast friends." He dropped Noctis as he rose to his feet and turned his attention away from the unconscious prince, picking up his hat to place it on a nearby soldier as he walked away. She caught a glimpse of something rolling across the stone, and her gaze shifted to it.

The Ring of the Lucii.

She stared at it, unable to take her gaze away even when she heard the familiar sound of magic and a grunt from Ravus, followed by the impact of a body against stone.

"Permit me to make a suggestion."

She looked back up. Ardyn had turned, and was staring at her, black fire in his right hand. He gestured vaguely with it as he spoke, not giving her a chance to reply before he continued.

"Rather than follow this flotsam and float away to a watery grave, why not come with me?" He grinned, and extended a hand as if to play the welcoming host, though his smile didn't match the act. "What do you say?"

Silene blinked, looking at him in confusion. Why would he offer that? To turn her against her friends? To use her as a prisoner, a pawn in another of his twisted games? To kill Noctis with no one to protest or to stop him?

Her gaze flicked back to the ring, to Noctis. He'd surely die if she didn't do something.

_Ignis had begged._

Rage filled her. How many people were going to die here? Too many had suffered already. Noctis could _not_ join the dead. She had a promise to keep.

She called up her magic, her fury unleashing in the form of an inferno that burned too hot for the rain to extinguish, scorching the soldiers holding her down. Snatching the Ring off the ground, she got to her feet, panting from the strain of such a powerful spell. Ardyn raised a brow, tilting his head slightly.

"...I'll take that as a no." He held out his other hand in preparation to cast the dark flames surrounding it at her, like he presumably had to Ravus. It was a stark contrast to her bright orange fire.

"I don't know why you're doing this, and frankly I don't care." She spat, the flames coating her hands dying down in the rain. "But I refuse to let anyone else die here. This ends, _now._ "

She probably _would_ die from what she was about to do– the last person who tried it had, after all– but oh well. If Ignis really was dead like Ardyn claimed, then she'd be seeing him pretty soon.

She put on the Ring.

...And everything froze.

_Well that wasn't quite what she'd expected._

Looking around in confusion, she stared at the still figures around her, the rain hanging in midair, and the frozen waves. Then, without warning, her surroundings suddenly went dark, obscuring everything. It was a bit unnerving; despite no obvious signs of danger, the darkness seemed threatening, like something was going to emerge any moment to punish her for her trespass. It was clear she wasn't welcome in this place.

She suddenly had doubts about this decision.

Brushing her worries aside, she called out into the darkness with as much confidence as she could muster, though it was probably not as much as she hoped. Her voice seemed small.

"Kings of Lucis, I seek your aid."

Nothing. The doubt crept higher, and she felt fear rising along with it. But then a voice returned from the darkness, answering her summons.

**_"Another appeals to us, desiring our strength."_ **

The voice was...odd. It was deep and powerful, resonating in her bones. The sound echoed and surrounded her, making it hard to tell where it was coming from. It was difficult to tell if it was even actually _sound,_ and not just something she _felt._ Was it speaking in her head, perhaps?

Another noise caught her attention, and she turned to see hazy blue figures appearing one by one.

Ah. The Kings of old.

She couldn't tell which of them had answered, but she assumed it was the central one. The misty figures were somewhat difficult to make out, but she recognized the armor of that particular ruler.

The Mystic. The Founder King.

This was getting more unnerving by the minute.

**_"Name the one who demands an audience with the Kings of Lucis."_ **

"I am Silene Rosewind, protector of Noctis Lucis Caelum, the Chosen King" she replied, as calmly as she could manage. She wasn't even convinced by the attempt herself, so they probably knew how anxious she was.

**_"A mere warrior addresses us?"_ ** The voice thundered through the darkness. **_"Is there so little respect for Lucis' forebears in this new age? It seems that the Ring falls into incapable hands yet again."_ **

She bowed, and remained in that position as she spoke, trying to seem as respectful as she could. They were here to judge her, and she needed them to deem her worthy, for Noctis' sake. "Majesties, I understand I am not of the royal line, but I pray you will overlook my inferiority and instead see the sincerity in my heart." Was her voice shaking? Hopefully not.

**_"What sincerity? You desire our power, and naught else. And if you know of our fabled might, then you must know it is a power that is not granted without sacrifice, one often too steep for mortals. The blood price is a life. Whose do you offer us?"_ **

She swallowed nervously. Surely they were going to kill her for this.

"I offer the life of Prince Noctis."

**_"To threaten our line is to threaten us,"_ ** The voice answered in a frightening tone, and she tried not to flinch when the Ring bit into her skin, a sharp pain flaring up in her hand in response to the King's anger, threatening to consume it. **_"Disloyalty to the crown means your life is forfeit. You claim to protect the Chosen King, and yet you would sacrifice his life. You seek our aid in order to betray us?"_ **

"No, I am not here to threaten!" She raised her head, looking at the ghostly figures in desperation and hoping they wouldn't kill her then and there before she could say her piece. "But the Chosen King will die if I do not act. I am merely here as his proxy, to request your aid and protection on his behalf, and I humbly ask for your blessing, in order to help him fulfill his destiny. Please, I beg of you. Let me help him. Let me protect him, as I swore to." Her gaze returned to the central figure. "Grant me your power so that I may keep my oath. I seek no personal gain."

A new voice answered her.

**_"Young warrior...Silene."_ **

She gasped quietly and turned her attention towards the sound. This King was clearer in form than the rest, not as old and faded by time. She recognized that voice.

"King Regis."

The figure dipped its head, then spoke once more.

**_"Do you understand what you are requesting? Are you willing to pay the price for our power? You will die if we grant it to you."_ **She nodded, trembling.

"Yes. Take my life if you must. I swore my oath before you, Majesty, and I intend to see it fulfilled. If my life is the cost to keep that promise, I will pay it."

Regis was silent, staring at her for a moment, and the sudden lack of sound felt like a weight pressing on her. But then he turned towards the Mystic and spoke once more.

**_"I know this woman. I know her strength and determination. She has never gone back on her word once it is given. Her heart is true, and she will protect my son to her last breath."_ ** He told the rest of her silent judges, appealing on her behalf. **_"Is that not so?"_ **

"Yes." She confirmed. "No matter what it takes, I would see him safe."

**_"And yet she prioritizes his advisor in times of crisis."_ ** The first voice returned, and she froze in terror. Were they going to decide that she was unworthy? Did she not deserve their blessing after all?

**_"The young man is integral to his success. Her motivations may seem selfish, but her actions are justified."_ **

'Integral?' Did that mean Ignis was still alive? She felt a wave of sadness. If that was true, then she wouldn't be able to see him when he healed, and let him know how much she cared. That would be her biggest regret. If only she had told him sooner. Now it was too late.

**_"This is the second time you have vouched for one not of royal blood, Young King. Do you wish to see the Ring continue to fall into unsanctioned hands? Our power commanded by any on a whim?"_ **

**_"I would see it in the hands of any who seek the protection of Lucis."_ ** Regis replied calmly. **_"To give one's life for the sake of our line is no greater test. But this woman is also important to the Chosen's success, and so in return for her loyalty I ask for a smaller sacrifice. Let her remain by his side, that she may do her duty and see the Light restored."_ **

There was a rumbling noise, perhaps a sound of agreement from the rest. She remained silent while they deliberated amongst themselves, deciding her fate. _Please deem me worthy. I only need enough power to defend Noctis and stop Ardyn._

**_"Very well. She may live."_ ** The Mystic finally agreed. **_"But her strength shall be tested instead."_ **

Her strength would be tested? She didn't know what that meant, but she was afraid to ask in case that offer was rescinded. At least she wouldn't die. Hopefully Regis could sense just how immensely grateful she was to him for that.

**_"Go. Harness our power, and destroy our enemies. If your benefactor speaks true, then your request is genuine, and you may stand proud beside the Chosen."_ **

With that, the Kings were gone, and she was left alone in the darkness.

And then the burning started.

Violet fire from the Ring coated her arms and she tried not to scream in agony, though she knew she must be making some noise that she couldn't hear. The part of her mind that wasn't focused on the pain noticed that her surroundings were back to normal, and Ardyn was watching her with a calm amusement– was he talking? It looked like his lips were moving, yet she didn't catch his words– but the rest of her didn't care. She couldn't convince her body to move until she grew numb to the flames. Then her daggers were in her hands, and she faced Ardyn, suddenly finding herself back in the open space that led to the altar.

"Well," He drawled, warping to where she stood in the small arena and leaning menacingly over her. "They've shown you their favor after all." A burst of his dark, shadowy magic threw her back, but she managed to keep her balance and lunged at him.

The strength that had been granted to her felt very… _different_ from the magic she was used to. It was far more potent, and it was like fire in her blood, putting more power behind her attacks than she had ever dreamed possible. She didn't quite know what she had expected the power of Kings to be like, but this was beyond anything she could've imagined. Alas, it proved to not be enough. Ardyn had treated the fight like a game, barely bothered by her attacks and taunting her all the while. Then, mere minutes after it was granted, the power faded, and she was left panting on her knees.

"Whew, wasn't that exhilarating?" Ardyn chuckled, watching her. "I think that's enough for one day." He turned, leaving the altar– surprising given his previous attempt to kill Noctis– and she managed to get to her feet in one last vain attempt to stop him. Sadly, he was gone before she could even reach him, and she tried not to collapse once again.

She was tired from the fight. The Ring had drained her of whatever energy she'd had left. But she needed to get back to Ignis and Noctis. She had to make sure they were okay. When she drew near, a quick glance told her that Noctis was still unconscious, though thankfully he appeared unharmed. She turned her attention to Ignis instead, knowing he was in a far worse state.

He was pale, and for a moment she thought he wasn't breathing, fearing that Ardyn hadn't been lying to her. Then she noticed the faint, almost imperceptible rise and fall of his chest. Thank the Astrals, he was still alive, just barely. She reached his side and knelt beside him, shifting him as carefully as she could so that his head rested in her lap. She didn't care that her arms were still numb, and that it made the task difficult.

"That was rather reckless."

She looked up, seeing Ravus watching her. He seemed to have recovered from whatever Ardyn had done to him before their fight, and seemed relatively unscathed. She saw his gaze shift to Ignis, then he glanced over his shoulder to look at Noctis.

"But your friends seem to be alright, more or less– all thanks to you." He continued, turning his attention back to her. Well, her arms, actually.

They looked awful, she noticed. Silver was everywhere, coating them entirely and glowing in certain spots, like embers had been embedded into her skin. It almost looked like ash from a dying flame. Maybe it was the adrenaline that was keeping her from feeling the pain, but she knew just from looking that it should hurt. The Ring seemed to have fallen from her hand onto the ground beside her, though she wasn't sure when. She paid no mind to it for now.

_"Silene! Ignis! Where are you?"_

_"Noct! Iggy!"_

She turned at the familiar voices. Gladio and Prompto seemed to have caught up. The _real_ ones, anyway. She was glad to hear them approaching, though they were still out of view. Finally they could all get out of this mess.

_A bit late, but at least they're here._

Ravus passed her, his boots clicking on the stone, and she instinctively reached out and grabbed his coat. He halted, looking over his shoulder at her, then down at Ignis.

"I apologize for Scientia's injuries. I pray that he survives his ordeal." He told her, before attempting to continue on his way. She kept her grip on his coat and he sighed. "What is it?"

"Regis' sword. It belongs to Noctis." 

"He is not awake to receive it." Ravus replied, his tone sharp and mildly annoyed. "He can claim it in Tenebrae. I must be going. We still have our callings to fulfill."

She released him, reluctantly, and he turned his blue and violet gaze to her one more time.

"...I will inform what remains of the doctors in this city of the method to treat your wounds. Consider it a peace offering after today's events." She didn't answer, and he turned his back to her again. "May fortune favor us both. And you as well, Noctis," he added with a brief glance towards the still unconscious prince.

With that he left, brushing past Gladiolus as he and Prompto reached them. She wasn't really paying much attention to them, even as they fussed over her injuries, and Gladio gently took Ignis from her. The exhaustion had finally caught up with her, and she needed to rest. But she couldn't. Not until they got somewhere safe. They couldn't carry her too. Reluctantly, she got to her feet to trail behind them in search of shelter and help. Now that they were finally here, maybe Ignis would be okay.

She prayed to whatever gods were listening that he had the strength to pull through this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter actually got a bit crazy. I kinda slapped the dream part in there during an edit to better display how close Silene's relationship with Ignis is. She picks on him, and he pretends to be annoyed.
> 
> The hardest part to write was the bargain with the Kings. I'm still a bit unsatisfied with how it turned out, since it seems a bit awkward. But with so little reference as to what exactly happens, it's not easy to make it smoother. The whole "her strength shall be tested" seems kinda weak (no pun intended) and honestly I've struggled a bit with the repercussions of what this does to Silene, so things may be shifting later on. I guess I could've skipped this mess entirely, but I really wanted to show the situation since you don't get to see it with Iggy.
> 
> Note: Silene is indeed Lucian, but some of her ancestors are not, and thus she lacks a Latin style surname. Where those ancestors are from shall remain a secret for now ;)


	4. The Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More details come to light, and Ignis has a realization.

Ignis was stuck. Silene had fallen asleep on him some time ago, evidently exhausted by her vigil while he had been recovering from his wounds. It had forced him to lean back against the headboard of the bed, in order to be in a more comfortable position. It still hurt to not lay down fully, but it wasn't something that bothered him too much for the moment, as he was more concerned about her comfort than his own. He could feel her soft snoring vibrating against his chest where her head rested, which admittedly was an odd sensation, but he didn't mind; she needed the rest, and he was perfectly fine with holding her until she awoke.

It seemed that this scenario had indeed become a common occurrence.

He kept running through the story she had told him in his mind. It sounded as if her entire reasoning for using the Ring was because she believed he was dead, and not entirely because he'd asked her to protect Noctis.

From her own words, she had done it knowing that she would die, because she had wanted to see him again. _"I wanted to see you safe, not freezing and covered in blood,"_ she'd told him. And from what Regis had said during her judgement, he suspected why.

_"Her motivations may seem selfish, but her actions are justified."_

She was in love with him.

He didn't know how he hadn't noticed, with how perceptive he usually was, but he had honestly never thought about it before now. The signs seemed pretty clear, looking back; she had always seemed to prefer his company over all the others, despite being more similar to Noctis or Gladio. Granted, she _had_ grown up alongside him, and thus they had always been friendly, but her rougher personality didn't always match very well with his. He'd mostly chalked it up to her interest in watching him cook– often pressing herself against his back to peer over his shoulder– and generally wanting someone to annoy who would actually return the teasing remarks. And as irritating as it could be at times, he did enjoy her wit. He really should have realized it a long time ago.

He should have realized because he felt the same way.

It had started around the time they were nearly adults, he supposed. Mostly just small things that he hadn't paid much attention to before: how gracefully she fought, how easily she handled magic– besides Noctis, he was really the only one who had much skill with magic, and she surpassed him in that regard– and her surprising gentleness despite appearances.

And then, of course, there was the time she had run off after a disagreement, and he had spent the next several hours frantically searching for her when she wouldn't answer his calls or texts until nearly 2am. Worry had kept him awake to await any sort of sign that she was okay, and he was immensely relieved when she finally texted back, having feared the worst.

Sighing, he shook his head, then scowled slightly as he glared up at his bangs, annoyed at how boyish he must look right now. He swept it back from his face with his free hand, wishing that he could fix it properly. But that wasn't an option when moving hurt, and he was essentially pinned to the bed. At least this made him look a bit less like a child. It would do for now.

He heard footsteps, and then the door opened, distracting him from his thoughts. Ignis turned to look at his visitor. His vision was blurry– shame he couldn't reach his glasses from here– but he could tell that it was Prompto. It surprised him a bit that it had taken the blond so long to show up. He would've expected him to be checking on them constantly, given how much he tended to worry when anything bad happened. But he supposed he trusted Silene to keep watch, and just wanted to see how she was faring. It wasn't as if she'd called anyone over when he woke up.

"Iggy! You're awake!" He exclaimed happily, and Ignis grimaced at how loud it was before making a gesture for him to be quiet and motioning to Silene.

"She's asleep, Prompto. I'd prefer not to wake her yet; I doubt she's had much rest in the past week."

"Oh. Sorry." Prompto moved between the two beds in the room and picked up his glasses from the bedside table to pass them to him. Ignis gratefully accepted them, glad to be able to see him clearly. Then the blond plopped down onto the opposite bed, closer to the door. "No, she's been awake pretty much every time any of us have checked on you." He paused, giving him a concerned look. "You're, uh...you're feeling okay, yeah?"

"Aside from being rather sore, I assure you that I'm fine." He replied, and Prompto looked relieved. Looking down at Silene with a frown, he added, "Though I'm not sure I believe the same applies to her."

"Yeah, she's been...well, _weird_ since the Trial. She was adamant about staying with you even when the doctors were trying to treat you guys, and she's barely spoken to anyone since we dragged you two back here. Viviana had to practically force her to eat and rest while you were in really bad shape. She spent a lot of time in here too, when Silene had to sleep. Wanted to make sure you didn't get worse and all. I think I heard her singing once. Something about cats, I think?" He shrugged slightly, and although Ignis knew exactly what he was talking about, he didn't bother to inform him that it was something she'd sang back when they were children. An oddly comforting melody, despite the simplicity of it. "Anyway, I think the Ring messed Silene up a bit, more than just the physical stuff." Prompto glanced at her worriedly. "Doesn't help that Gladio kinda yelled at her, and has been avoiding her since. Ravus apparently told the docs how to handle the burns, though, so her injuries could've been worse."

Ignis winced at the mention of Ravus. He found it a bit difficult to believe he'd decided to help after impaling him for defending Noct.

Speaking of…

"Where are the others?"

"Noct's in the room they put him in, hasn't left it much because he's upset about Luna...she didn't make it. Vivi's been hanging around there to talk to him ever since your fever broke. Gladio has been helping with some of the cleanup in the city, and last I knew 'Tavia went out looking for food." His gaze shifted to Silene's arms, currently wrapped around his waist. "No one's told Noct about what happened at the altar. We figured it's better if he doesn't find out, that it might make things worse. We didn't even tell him what exactly happened to you, just said that you got hurt. He was worried, but he never came to see how bad it was until Vivi dragged him down here. I think the idea of you being hurt and dying scared him too much. I mean, it scared all of us. And he mentioned that you were freaking out during the fever, but then she made him leave, and mostly locked us all out. Gladio and I didn't get to visit much beyond the first day or two, but...we almost lost you, Iggy."

_Ah._ So it seemed that Noctis _didn't_ lock Silene out of the Armiger. That was a problem.

"So I've heard," he replied. Admittedly, he was surprised they didn't. Considering what he had been told and the way everything hurt, there was no doubt that he was extremely lucky to still be alive. "I suppose we're rather fortunate, given the circumstances. We're all alive, and it sounds as if everyone escaped relatively unscathed."

He was relieved to know they were alright. It had been a rough and chaotic battle, and they were all lucky to have survived with relatively minor injuries. He would much prefer to be the one wounded, so long as it meant they were safe.

"Yeah, the rest of us were mostly okay. A few scrapes and bruises, but nothing too bad. The Nifs started retreating not too long after we got separated from you and Silene, so we came looking for you instead. Vivi started crying when your fever was gone, by the way, and it seemed like she was upset at first. I thought you'd died or something. You're still here though, and everyone's relieved about that. So it could've been worse, but…" He trailed off, looking down at his hands with a troubled expression.

"But?" Ignis prompted, watching him. The blond sighed and looked up, head tilted slightly. The motion caused his bangs to fall partly over his face.

"Are we doing the right thing, Iggy? I mean, it was one thing going to talk to all the Astrals before, but we just destroyed a whole _city_. Well, not _us_ , but...you know." He made a vague gesture that Ignis couldn't entirely interpret. "People who never did anything wrong just lost their homes, and that makes me think about how we all felt when it happened to Insomnia. I don't want more people to go through that."

He sympathized with Prompto. It _wasn't_ fair for Altissia's citizens to have lost their homes. Insomnia was, admittedly, a slightly different case because there had been no warning, but his point was still the same; people were suffering, and would continue to do so if they kept going like this. Especially if what Pryna had shown him would be the outcome of their journey. Noctis would die to save them from the daemons?

That was a horrible future, one he never wanted to experience.

"I'm afraid I don't know." He replied after a long silence. "I would like to think we are, but between the gods and the war, nothing seems to be going as planned." He sighed. "I'll speak with Noct when I have a chance. But if he wishes to press onward, then we must follow his lead."

"Well, I'm not about to run off just because we gotta keep going." Prompto shrugged, then smiled cheerfully, as if his moment of doubt hadn't happened. "More adventure means more pictures, right? We'll have a pretty sweet scrapbook once all of this is over." Ignis couldn't help but smile fondly at his enthusiasm. The familiar cheeriness put him at ease, knowing that the recent events hadn't entirely affected their morale. Leave it to Prompto to find a silver lining in everything.

"I suppose we shall."

The blond seemed pleased by that, but then he suddenly got to his feet quickly with an expression that implied he had just realized something important. "Oh, uh, you're probably hungry, right? I should go get you something to eat. I'll let Viviana know you're awake too. She'll want to know right away, with how much she's been worrying about you. And everyone else will be glad to hear it when they get back." He rushed to the door and left the room, scurrying down the hall. Ignis couldn't help but chuckle at how abruptly he had left. He supposed he _was_ a bit hungry, now that Prompto had mentioned food. Maybe he'd bring some Ebony too when he returned, though that might be a bit too much to hope for, given the state of the city. And someone would say it was bad for him. Oh well.

He looked back down at Silene. It was good that she was resting, after a week of presumably very little sleep. He would have to make sure she was getting proper rest and eating well, as she was looking a bit thin. Then again, he probably did too, considering how he'd been faring for the past week. Sighing, he lightly ran his fingers through her hair– let down for the first time in years, he noted– to try and remove some of the matted spots. Since she had spent so much time caring for him, the least he could do was return the favor as much as he was able.

When she woke up, he would thank her properly for saving his life. And Noct's. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was unfortunately hard for me to fluff out after writing the draft, and it got rather dialogue heavy. I was hoping to average the chapters at around 3k words, but I only got a little over 2k with this one. Hopefully it'll be rare with later chapters.


	5. Departure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noctis wants to continue the journey. Ignis reluctantly obliges.

Ignis sighed, smoothing down his shirt. It felt nice to be able to dress properly again. Even after waking, it had taken a few days of drifting in and out of sleep before he finally had the strength to get out of bed for more than short intervals. The painkillers he'd been given by the doctors helped somewhat, but his movements were still stiff, painful, and it had taken a few minutes of careful maneuvering to get his shirt and jacket on with only minimal pulling on his injuries. It was, simply put, an unpleasant experience. But it was worth it for the sense of normalcy it offered.

He fingered the seam that lined up with the wound across his stomach. It was practically invisible. Frankly, he didn't know how Viviana had managed to mend it so well between the tears and the sheer amount of blood that had saturated the fabric. It must've been a nightmare, and yet it looked good as new. Even inspecting the back, where there wasn't a seam to easily cover the tear that matched the front, he could barely find where it had been. If it were anyone else, he would've been surprised. But she had been the one to teach him how to sew and cook, amongst all the other skills he’d needed to take up his role as Noctis' caretaker. What would be an insurmountable task for anyone else was second nature to her, and if it had been him he would've reluctantly deemed it beyond repair and thrown it out. He was glad she hadn't.

He would be sure to thank her when he had the chance.

Flicking the light off, he left the small bathroom attached to his room, rolling his shoulders slightly to ease the tension there. Gods, he wished he could exercise. It would be nice to go through his gymnastic routine, give him time to gather his thoughts and work away some of the stress and frustration. But that would probably be a bad idea, and he didn't want to end up on the floor bleeding. Because that had been _so_ wonderful the first time. Still, he didn't like how long it had been since he'd had a chance to practice his skills, and the lost time would likely cost him. Oh well.

As he neared the door, his shirt caught on the stitches and he hissed quietly, annoyed. Bloody Altissia. He would be grateful when they left, and hopefully he'd never have to set foot here again. Beauty be damned, he didn't like the wounds it had inflicted on him, sidelining him for over a week while he was unconscious and recovering. It was frustrating, knowing just how much time had been wasted simply because he’d miscalculated his defense.

He took a deep breath, calling up some of Noctis' magic– not enough that the prince would notice, he tended not to unless it was during combat or an intense recovery spell, neither of which was the case– and used it to suppress his pain a little better. He'd be scolded for it if anyone realized that he was using magic to ease the severity of his injuries. It wasn't _healing,_ it didn't really work that way so long after the fact, but it helped to downplay how badly he was injured. It worked well enough, and although the painkillers did help, they tended to make his head feel a bit muzzy. He didn't like that feeling, but he also didn't want Prompto in particular fussing over him any more than he had been previously.

Opening the door, he stepped into the hall and headed towards Noctis' room. He'd only been there one time after the prince woke up, informing him of what he knew of the events in Altissia, including the issue of Silene's lack of access to the Armiger. He'd left out the details of why, not wanting to upset the Prince over the fact that she had used the Ring in his defense. It was better if he didn't know the specifics of her injuries, he'd decided. After that, he'd retreated back to his own room, in part because Gladio threw a fit about how he should be resting and that he shouldn't have snuck off just to check on Noctis without telling anyone. That reaction had been precisely _why_ he hadn't mentioned it. He didn't enjoy being coddled.

Gladio was going to scold him again, he was sure of that, but Ignis knew that enough was enough. This was getting too dangerous for them, and as Noctis' advisor it was his duty to inform him of the risks they faced.

The door wasn't locked when he reached it, and he entered the large room slowly, crossing from the entry through the archway where the bed lay beyond. As expected, Noctis was sprawled on the mattress, head turned towards the window.

"Ah. How are you feeling?" He questioned, moving to the side of the bed, where Prompto had previously dragged an ottoman over from the main area to use as a seat. Noctis grunted in response to his question, and he sat down, facing away from the bed. "...Noct." Silence met him, and he paused before continuing. "Perhaps it might be best if we...brought our journey to a close."

"Why?" Noctis questioned, confused, and Ignis heard the shift of the mattress. He knew the prince was sitting up now, staring at him. He sighed, turning his gaze to the floor.

"It's just that, um…" He hesitated, unsure of how to phrase his concerns. "We've already lost so much. _Too_ much."

_"Are you kidding me?"_ Noctis sounded angry, and Ignis lowered his head. "That's _exactly_ why I have to keep going. Because if I give up now, their sacrifices would've been for nothing!" He remained silent, knowing he had no place to argue, and Noctis continued tearfully. "And you, _you_ of all people...you should know that better than anyone."

It stung a little, knowing that he was using his wounds as an argument to continue forward, and he couldn't help the soft, shaky exhale that escaped him before he regained his composure. As much as he didn't like it– the risks seemed to outweigh the goals, especially considering the vision he'd seen on the altar– Noctis' word was final. All of them would ensure he was safe as he pressed onward, but the chances that they might be killed was becoming a grim reality that he wanted desperately to avoid. He knew they would all willingly die for him. He would too, because royalty or not, Noctis was important to him. That said, it wasn't a sacrifice he _wanted_ to make, he didn't even want to _risk_ it. Especially not if their end goal was to lead the prince to his death.

But he didn't say that, because he ultimately had no right to decide what their path was. All he could do was offer advice.

"The decision is yours to make, and yours alone," he finally responded, rising from his seat. "But do remember: we will stand with you always, and help you bear your burdens. Don't be afraid to let us share the load." There was no reply, and he decided it was best to take his leave for now. "...I'll be back."

With that, he left silently, trying to ignore the image of an older Noctis dying on the throne. An image that had plagued his mind ever since he woke and had time to dwell on what it meant. A horrible future, and he wasn't sure he could avoid it.

He didn't want to die along the way, but the thought of losing Noctis was somehow worse than what he had experienced on the altar.

Ignis didn't feel like returning to his room. It was making him restless, being cooped up, and instead he sought out somewhere quiet and secluded to be alone with his thoughts. Gladio could complain all he liked, he didn't really care at this point. He avoided anything that would give him a view of the ruined city, eventually finding a small sitting area, and settled into one of the chairs with a heavy sigh, rubbing his face tiredly. Per Noctis' decision, he was going to have to figure out what their next move was, and he didn't even know where to start. This journey had gone so wrong so quickly. From a simple wedding to a full scale invasion, mixed in with an entire bloody _mess_ from the gods themselves. It was getting to be too much to handle.

Ignis liked clarity. Trying to figure this situation out was like looking through frosted glass: near impossible to make out any useful details.

"Gil for your thoughts?"

He raised his head, glancing over his shoulder to find Viviana staring at him coolly. He was a little surprised that he hadn't heard her approach. Normally he noticed when someone was nearby, but he supposed he was too troubled to pay much attention. Still, his worries weren't something that he was particularly keen to talk about, and he merely shook his head.

"Nothing warranting discussion. I'm fine." The blonde raised a brow at him, unconvinced by his dismissal.

"I know what 'fine' looks like, and that expression isn't it." He grimaced slightly, cursing internally. Of course she knew, he should've known better than to lie. She'd cared for Noctis, and by extension, him– she'd quite literally adopted him back when he was around six years old, what with his parents gone and his uncle having little time to actually care for him– since they were children, and spent many hours teaching him the various tasks he'd needed or wanted to learn. Viviana was able to read him better than anyone else, no matter how much he tried to hide his feelings, and they both knew it. She settled beside him, giving him that motherly look of concern that he hadn't seen in quite some time. "What's wrong, Ignis?"

"I–" He started, then sighed. "I don't know what to do. Noct is...he wants to keep going despite the dangers, and I'm not sure where we should go from here." He hesitated, then continued, turning his gaze away. It was hardly a first, but he didn't want her to see just how vulnerable he was feeling. "...I don't know if we'll all make it through our journey alive."

"Ignis, I know you'll do everything in your power to keep everyone safe. Don't stress about that too much. You're careful, and they follow your guidance when things get dangerous. It will be fine," she assured him, but that didn't ease his worries much. The vision flashed in his mind again.

"But Noct, I...I saw him die." Viviana blinked at him, surprised.

_"Oh."_

The tone of her reply indicated to him that she was surprised that he was _saying_ it, not that the _information_ was a shock. He turned his attention back to her, staring in disbelief.

"You knew."

"Ignis–"

_"You knew."_ He repeated, harsher this time. It felt like a betrayal, hearing that she was aware of his fate this whole time, yet withheld it from them. "Does Noctis know? Does _anyone_ know?"

"Regis knew."

Ignis was at a loss for words. The King knew of his son's fate? Did that play a part in why he sent them off when he did? Was it to avert that future, or to fulfill it? It was difficult for him to believe it could be the latter, but he knew King Regis well enough that he couldn't deny it entirely. As much as he clearly cared for Noctis, he knew when difficult decisions had to be made, and if somehow his son's life was a price for something greater– something that would _help_ people, because Regis was not a selfish king– then he would accept that price. He had told Ignis many times, _"A king pushes onward always, accepting the consequences and never looking back."_

That line held more weight now than it had before.

He felt like his world was falling apart. That everything he'd known merely a lie to push him into leading his best friend– no, _brother_ – to his death. He felt like a fool. He felt cheated. But worst of all, he felt like he had betrayed Noctis.

There really was nothing he could do, was there?

His shoulders fell, and he buried his head in his hands with a frustrated groan. "All this time, _everything_ we've done, and it's all for naught." He wanted to scream, to rage, to _cry_ at the unfairness of it all, but he somehow managed to suppress those feelings. Viviana touched his shoulder gently.

"It hurts, I know. I wished for years that there was something else we could do. But the gods are stubborn, and they think he needs to die to be rid of the daemons for good." 

_"Why him?"_ He asked, feeling defeated. Why did it have to be _him_ specifically? Ignis didn't want to lose Noctis, didn't want to be the one to _lead_ him to that point. It just wasn't _fair._

He felt guilty for thinking it, but Lunafreya and Ravus were the Oracle's bloodline, so why wasn't it them? Noctis wasn't a healer like Luna had been. But perhaps it was because of her death that the burden rested on him now.

"Because it's his destiny. He's the only one with the power to wield the Ring safely." She couldn't see the shift in his expression, but she seemed to guess his thoughts and added, "Silene was lucky to have been granted leniency. But she wasn't able to use it to its full potential and defeat m– Ardyn _._ If she _had_ , well...we wouldn't be having this conversation."

Ignis wasn't really sure what she meant by that– what did the Chancellor have to do with the daemons?– but he was too lost in his own misery to care. Pulling himself together, he finally raised his head to look at her, internally wincing at how lost he must look right now.

"What do we do?"

"What do _you_ think we should do?" She questioned in return, pulling her hand back. _"You're_ the strategist, Ignis, not me. All we can do is move forward, regardless of how much we dislike the outcome. You know what Regis used to say." 

He sighed. She was right, he _did_ know. And it was his job to figure out this whole mess. Considering the question for a long moment, he finally replied.

"To Cartanica, I think. I recall rumors of a royal tomb there. It should be the last of them."

"And then?" She prompted, pushing him to think further ahead instead of worrying. She was good at keeping him focused. It stopped him from overthinking the negatives.

"...Gralea will be our destination. I'm certain that's where the Crystal will be." Pausing, he added, "Noct will want to stop in Tenebrae along the way."

"Of course he will. Indulge him. He needs to grieve." He bowed his head in acknowledgement of her words.

"I don't intend to refuse, but…"

"Worried about Gladiolus?" She raised a brow, and he nodded slowly. "He'll make a fuss, I'm sure, but you know Noctis is too stubborn to be told no."

"I suppose you're right," he agreed. Recalling what he had intended to talk to her about originally, he changed the subject to a less grim one. "I wanted to thank you, by the way. For taking care of everyone in my stead, and mending my clothes." He made a gesture over himself to emphasize the latter, and she looked a little amused as she replied.

"It's my job just as much as yours, Ignis. You don't need to thank me. Besides, I figured you'd be pretty upset if I let someone throw out your favorite shirt." He couldn't help but smile a little at that.

"Indeed, though I suspect it was a rather difficult task." She shrugged in response.

"The sewing wasn't. Getting blood out of silk, though, that was tricky." She eyed him for a moment. "You should wear something that's less work to fix."

"And sacrifice my decorum? Never." She laughed at his lighthearted response.

"There's our Ignis." Getting up, she offered a hand to help him to his feet, which he gratefully accepted. "Well, if Cartanica is our next move, then we should get to work preparing for the trip."

"Indeed. I'll see if I can secure transportation. Would you mind checking our supplies?"

"Not at all."

They set to work as soon as possible. The preparations took several days, but before long they were ready to depart for Imperial territory in search of the tomb and the Crystal. They were just leaving for the docks when Gladiolus stopped him, hand on his shoulder.

"You sure you're ready to travel, Iggy? Maybe you should stay here for a bit. We can call Cid and have him take you and Silene back to Duscae."

Ignis felt a flash of indignation at the suggestion. He may have been injured, but not so badly that he couldn't fulfill his duties. Yet no matter how many times he insisted, Gladio didn't want to drop the subject. It was grating on his nerves just a bit.

"I'll manage just fine. My wounds have nearly mended." They hadn't, wounds like this took time, but Gladio didn't need to know that. "And we shouldn't abandon Silene."

"She can't fight, Ignis. She'll be dead weight, and we can't spend half of our time protecting her."

"Then _I_ will keep her safe. She needs a chance to adapt, and forcing her on Cid and Cindy is hardly going to help her confidence." The Shield looked a bit displeased with his reply, but he didn't argue further, merely grumbling as he got onto the boat they'd managed to charter. Ignis followed, turning his gaze to the others, already on board.

"Everything in order?"

"Yep," Prompto replied, giving him a thumbs up.

"Then let's be off."

Settling into a seat, he mentally calculated the length of their trip. Crossing the water to the Empire's territory would take at least a day or two, and getting to Cartanica itself would require a trip by train, as there were few roads. A shame, really, since the First Secretary had been kind enough to retrieve the Regalia for them– at a rather hefty price, but they had the gil and there was no doubt that they'd need the car in Gralea, given how large the city was– and driving to the royal tomb would've been a nice distraction. He'd have to buy a map when they docked to see the exact distance they would need to travel, but he suspected that would take a few days as well, if not longer. Two weeks for the full trip to Gralea, perhaps? Shorter if they were lucky, but given how poorly things had been going for them thus far, he suspected it would be longer. He amended his calculation to three weeks instead.

Ignis sighed. This was going to be a long trip, and not one he was particularly looking forward to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last of the pre-written chapters, and the end of the Episode Ignis section of the story. I have bits and pieces for future ones in my folder, but from this point forward the updates may take time.
> 
> Iggy is frustrated and also slightly having a crisis. But don't worry, his life gets worse ;)


	6. Author's Note

I will be deleting this when I get the actual chapter up, but I decided that I should let you guys know that it may be a while.

Shortly after posting chapter 5, I went to post "Bury Me" and discovered that hey, my computer screen is messed up and I can barely see anything. Turns out the case and screen ended up with a giant crack in them (thanks, cats). Managed to get that work up, but since I can't seem to figure out custom tags on mobile, it would be a pain to deal with anything new for the time being. I'm still looking for ways to fix it and I unfortunately don't have a spare pc. So to anyone who's made it this far into the story, I am sorry for the delay.

I'm also still getting over my writer insecurity where I feel like everyone is judging me more harshly than they probably are, so that's yet another reason why I'm not doing much at the moment. On the bright side, I have a rough series of events saved, so chapters later in this monster of a story shouldn't be too difficult...I'm just not entirely sure where chapter 6 is going just yet lol.

But anyway, I appreciate your patience, and any feedback on what has been written or what you think I should put into later chapters. This is mostly self indulgent, but I want to make sure you guys enjoy it as much as I do.

Thank you!

Update: My dad was able to repair the screen. Yay! :D  
I've taken a hiatus from writing FF in the time since it initially broke in favor of personal, original stories. I'm unsure when I'll post chapter 6, but I promise I will see this to the end...eventually lol


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